The garden gods were good to me last week when an afternoon movie netted a bounty of fresh, organic veggies and I became the lucky recipient of three huge, meaty, gorgeous Elbe heirloom tomatoes. Named after the Elbe River in Germany, these award-winning beefsteak-like tomatoes have been an heirloom favorite since 1889. One of the […]
5 Ingredient Fix: Interview with Claire Robinson
When interviewing Claire Robinson, host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix, I discovered that she and I have several things in common: she doesn’t like grocery shopping, she thinks most people look for quick recipes that don’t require four pans and tools such as the mandoline in my garage that I’ve always been afraid to […]
Summer Vegetable Gratin
Faced with an abundance of zucchini? This Summer Vegetable Gratin is a deliciously healthy dish for Summer’s bounty! Thanks to my friend Diane, I went to see a movie and came home with a cornucopia of fresh, organic produce. Diane, a Master Gardener who specializes in edible gardens, had been to a garden swap and […]
Hot Tip: True Food Kitchen
Patio dining in southern California doesn’t get much better than this – unless you’re at the beach! Two of the best items on the menu: silky Edamame Dumplings and Caramelized Onion Tart with Figs and Gorgonzola. True Food Kitchen, newly opened in Fashion Island next to Roy’s. 451 Newport Center Drive Newport Beach, CA (949) […]
Foodbuzz Top 9!
Check it out!!! The adorable Owl Cupcakes (posted on Tuesday) are in the #1 spot on Today’s Top 9 at Foodbuzz! Woohoo!
This week’s obsession….
Soif Wine Bar & Merchants in Santa Cruz, CA. Sublime farm-to-table cuisine. We’ll make a point of dining here whenever we’re in Santa Cruz visiting the Young Baker while she’s attending UC Santa Cruz. Above: Panko Crusted Oysters with Remoulade Below: Pan Seared Scallops with Peas and Fava Beans in a Meyer Lemon and Mustard […]
Hello, Cupcake!
The Young Baker and her BFF decided to make these adorable Owl cupcakes, from the book Hello Cupcake, last week. For an afternoon they measured, stirred, carefully separated dozens of oreos cookies, frosted and painstakenly assembled nearly 50 double chocolate owl cupcakes – all the while joking, cajoling, swearing, and reminiscing. Not only did it […]
Pasta with Red Chard and Chickpeas
Lately, I’ve been posting recipes highlighting green beans, peppers, eggplant, and lettuce from our garden. But what I was craving was some greens, like swiss chard – specifically, red chard, because of its beautiful color – very visually appealing with its shiny green ribbed leaves in colorful contrast to the brilliant red stems, I remembered my […]
Pizzettas!!!
Hurray for summer! Hard to believe that it’s August already and, for parents of school-age children, time to start Back-to-School shopping and thinking about getting back on a schedule – eek! I have a feeling that, like me, you’re squeezing as much fun as you can into every waking minute! I’m feeling a little guilty […]
This week’s obsession….
(hover over photos for captions) After judging the professional competition at Cupcake Camp OC, along with Elise, the Cupcake Activist and Tiffini from Yummy Cupcakes. I thought I might never desire another cupcake. But I was wrong… today I indulged in an adorable owl cupcake made of delicious, dense chocolate cake with creamy, chocolate buttercream frosting […]